This Week’s Blog Posts:
We Killed, an oral history by Yael Kohen, discusses the way women fit into and redefined comedy in the United States, starting around the time of Phyllis Diller and ending with Chelsea Handler. An informative, interesting, and occasionally funny (though not meant to be a work of comedy itself) book.
What’s lurking over there? Why are they burning crops? Are zombies real, and where did they come from? Why are Hank’s parents dead? This full-on scary (but never gory) work of young adult horror, Dust Bath Revival by Marianne Kirby, was a great addition to my list of fiction focused on fat women for the month of June!
Next Week’s Blog Posts:
Catch my review of Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata. I grabbed a copy of this novella in audio book form and listened to it during my work commute. Nothing like I expected, my reading experience made me feel oddly out of step with other readers and prize committees. Review on Tuesday.
Many of you noted that you’re anticipating my review of No Visible Bruises by journalist Rachel Louise Snyder. While I thought I knew things about domestic violence, I learned more than I expected to — especially how much people don’t know about it and how little legal protection victims have. Review to come Friday.
Slow Books in Progress:
Book by a Male Author: None! I blasted through the last 200 pages of Porno by Irvine Welsh so I could move on with my summer reading bingo challenge at work. I plan to get to Charlie Savage by Roddy Doyle and Zora Neale Hurston: A Literary Biography by Robert E. Hemenway before the end of July, though.
Book I’m Reading Aloud to My Spouse: I just started reading David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. My husband is gleefully giddy, as this is one of his favorite books. I’m having fun reading it aloud yet am highly aware of how long sentences can make me sound huffy-puffy when I’m trying to get them all out in one breath.
Books Added to the TBR Pile:
None!
Grab the Lapels 
I’m looking forward to those upcoming reviews, especially No Visible Bruises.
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I can’t wait to see your review of Convenience Store Woman, I read it this week too but am not sure I’ll do a full review. I’d like to chat with you about it when you do so I’ll keep my eyes open for that one,
OMG- DID you know David Copperfield is my favorite Dickens so far. Aunt Betsey, I love her. It’s long but there is so much I enjoyed about the book. I watched an older movie adaptation of last year after reading (and watching) Hard Times, which made me want to read Copperfield again but I thought, I should really get to some of the other Dickens books on my shelf.
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Your answer made my husband so happy 😁 We just got to chapter 3, so we’re not terribly far in yet.
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Oh, and yes, definitely share your thoughts about Convenience Store Woman in the comments when the review comes out! I’d like to hear more opinions. So far, I feel like I’m in the minority, as no other readers have mentioned the same concerns I have — not that I’ve seen, anyway.
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I imagine No Visible Bruises was informative but hard to get through. Will be on the lookout for your review. I hope you enjoy your week!
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Thanks, Alicia! No Visible Bruises was engrossing, but sometimes made me feel icky about people in general.
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Oohhh David Copperfield-I’m intrigued! Never read it, but I’d love to hear all about it. And I know what you mean about long sentences, that sometimes happens to me when I’m reading aloud to my kids haha
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So far, it’s a really funny book. It’s from the perspective of a grown man, and when he narrates himself as a child, I just about die, he so precious. There’s this scene in which little Davy Copperfield asks where various relations in this fishing family are (fathers, husbands, etc.) and learns that everyone in this family has “drowndead” or “drowneded,” yet he keeps asking where different people are. You can just see his nurse shaking her head and sighing in the background because little Davy just does NOT get it. Also, he is well-educated, so he speaks perfected even when those around him (like the fishermen) do not, and that contrast is hilarious, too. I think what I’ll do next Sunday is update people on what has happened! I’m not reviewing the book, and I’m not sure I can spoil anything, as it’s quite old.
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Oh yah spoilers for classics doesn’t really exist, you’re free to do whatever in that realm I think. It sounds cute!
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I only added one this week and it will be a quick read once I get to it – Tan from Queer Eye’s autobiography. Look out for The Most Awkward Photo Ever Taken on my blog later today or tomorrow … I find Convenience Store Woman is not on my 20 Books of Summer list so will be a while till I get to it – I will look out for your review and save it. Love that you’re reading Dickens as he was written to be read!
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Tan seems like a lovely person on the show, and he’s a rather even personality when compared to Jonathan, who drives me bonkers.
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He’s swearier and naughtier in real life but I can’t wait to read the book and find out all the inside infol I have warmed to Jonathan because he really does seem to care.
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The only reason Jonathan bothers me is that the second he meets someone, he starts calling them queen and telling them how amazing they are. He knows literally nothing about them, and while I’m pro-affirmations, I want affirmations that are genuine and have something to do with the person being affirmed. So, the result is he comes off as fake to me, though I can 100% see why people really like him.
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That makes sense. He’s my least favourite. With a couple of people in the latest series he has seemed to actually see them during the week and properly engage authentically.
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I’m so glad! I haven’t watched the show in a while, though it’s on that bingeable medium, Netflix.
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I’m a Dickens virgin but have Dombey & Sons (audiobook) with me so that might be coming to an end. Looking forward to the ZNH literary biography.
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Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat. I’m not shaming you, I’m just really surprised. I would say start with David Copperfield. It is funny, smart, and the product of Dicken’s time as a serialized author. If you can, get a copy of the book that is published to look like the original serial. That’s what I have. It’s in two columns like it would be in a newspaper, and it also has the images the story was printed with.
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